HomeSleep apnea

Sleep apnea

Following articles have been provided for your benefit. These are reprinted articles from various sources which we think will be uselful to increase your understanding of Sleep apena.

If you enjoy these artciles, please let us know via send comments link. This way we kow what our patients are looking for.

Sleep Apnea - Prevention

You can help prevent obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring if you:

  • Avoid the use of alcohol and medicines, such as sleeping pills and sedatives, before bed. These can relax your throat muscles and slow your breathing.
  • Eat sensibly, exercise, and stay at a weight that is as close as possible to a healthy body weight.
  • Sleep on your side. Sleeping on your back can increase snoring. Try this: Sew a pocket in the middle of the back of your pajama top, put a tennis ball into the pocket, and stitch it shut. This will help keep you from sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your side may eliminate mildsleep apnea.
  • Quit smoking. The nicotine in tobacco relaxes the muscles that keep the airways open. If you don't smoke, those muscles are less likely to collapse at night and narrow the airways.
  • Raise the head of your bed 4in. to 6in. by putting bricks under the legs of the bed. You can also use a special pillow (called a cervical pillow) when you sleep. A cervical pillow can help your head stay in a position that reduces sleep apnea. Using regular pillows to raise your head and upper body will not work.
  • Promptly treat breathing problems, such as a stuffy nose caused by a cold or allergies. Breathing problems can increase the risk of snoring. Avoid taking antihistamines, because they can make you drowsy and make apnea episodes worse. Instead, use decongestants, which decrease drainage.
 

Sleep Apnea - Causes

A blockage or narrowing of the airways in your nose, mouth, or throat generally causes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This usually occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and partially or completely block the airway. When you stop breathing or have reduced flow of air into your lungs during sleep, the amount of oxygen in your blood decreases briefly.

Obstructive sleep apnea can also occur if you have bone deformities or enlarged tissues in your nose, mouth, or throat. For example, you may have enlarged tonsils. During the day when you are awake and standing up, this may not cause problems. But when you lie down at night, the tonsils can press down on your airway, narrowing it and causing sleep apnea.

Other factors that may contribute to sleep apnea include:

  • Drinking alcohol, which affects the part of the brain that controls breathing. This may relax the breathing muscles and cause a narrowing of the airway and sleep apnea.
  • Obesity. Fat in the neck area can press down on the tissues around the airways. This narrows the airways and can cause sleep apnea. About 70% of people who have sleep apnea are obese.1
  • Some medicines that are taken for conditions such as allergies, depression, insomnia, or anxiety. These medicines, especially sedatives, can also relax the muscles and tissues in the throat, causing it to narrow.

In children, the main cause of sleep apnea is large tonsils or adenoids

 

Select a language